A Co Down woman is aiming to raise awareness of an autism diagnosis in adulthood after learning she has the condition.
Erin Curran from Crossgar received her diagnosis of autism just last week at the age of 23.
As someone who has struggled with comprehending the world around her her entire life, Erin now wants to highlight adult diagnosis.
Read more: Belfast mum on her son's autism journey and encouraging others to 'be kind to different minds'
"Most people believe once they are out of school there is no point in seeking a diagnosis or help of any kind," she told Belfast Live
"Getting diagnosed as an adult is more common than it seems yet it isn't discussed much at all. Autism isn't something that goes away and seeking answers as a grown up is just as valid as getting answers as a child."
Erin, an author, has a passion for writing that stemmed from her love of reading at a very young age. She loves creating fantasy worlds for people to escape to when they need time away from reality and published her first book, The Seven, three years ago.
"When I look back to when I was a kid I had sensory issues which is the main thing I would think about. I had to hide from fireworks and also I couldn't stick discos because it would get very overwhelming," she recalled.
"I actually used to sneak off and sleep in the tuck shop in my primary school when they were on as it was just too much for me.
"I hated balloons because I knew they were capable of making a loud noise. I had a problem with vegetables and wouldn't eat them, not because of the taste but the texture. My parents would joke and say they couldn't get me to eat a piece of broccoli."
Erin also faced issues when it came to forming childhood friendships.
"I always struggled to connect with people as I knew I was a bit different but the thing that's common with girls with autism that I only discovered years later is that we mask how we behave and try to mimic people around us," she said.
"In order to make friends I would try to be like the other girls and act the way they did rather than be my own individual self. I think the other girls sensed that and it put them off a bit as I did struggle to get along with others in primary school."
She added: "I was luckier with friendships in high school but the signs of autism were there. It was very much in my teenage years that I had hyperfixations, which is common in autism.
"That's one singular thing that we throw all our interest into and it becomes our thing so you can't get us to talk about anything else.
"If it's not about that particular thing then we lose interest. So for me it was all about The Hunger Games and I read the books and watched the movies.
"This was around 2014 and I did go to my GP about this level of obsession because I didn't think it was normal. I was told it was typical of a teenager to have something that they're obsessed with and it was nothing to worry about."
Erin was concerned as autism runs in her family - she has five cousins who are autistic but says it never really occurred to her that she might also be.
In 2019 she went back to her GP and asked to be tested at which point she was referred to Finneston House Mental Health Day Hospital in Downpatrick.
"At the time I was told that there was a two year waiting list and then Covid happened so I only finally got my answers at the end of May. I did my own research before I approached the doctor as autism shows differently in girls and boys," she explained.
"Girls are much more likely to be diagnosed later in life because they mask it so when I read about all the symptoms they resonated with me which meant I always sort of knew that I was autistic. I would have been more shell shocked if the answer had been different and I was told that I wasn't."
She added: "Now that I know it feels very cathartic and a relief. Even though I had the attitude that this is what I am and this is what it is, having it definitively answered was reaffirming all the things I had struggled with both when I was younger and now.
"There is a reason for it and you're not just losing your mind. The times when you're overwhelmed and you do maybe end up reacting certain ways to certain things is not because you're being unreasonable or overreacting. There is an answer."
Erin will now be referred to support groups and have the chance to meet others who have been diagnosed in adulthood.
"We will be able to share our experiences and see that we're not alone," she explained.
"I have been asked quite a few times in the past why I bothered trying to get a diagnosis as an adult and going through this process if not much will come from it. But it's about getting an answer, having it reaffirmed and going on to meet other people in the same position.
"Being 23 means I'm still at the younger end of an adult diagnosis but I've heard of a man in his 80s who saw an ad for autism and it resonated with him so he went on to get tested and found out he had been autistic his entire life."
Erin said that being diagnosed as an adult has given her a fresh perspective on life.
"Possibly helping even one other person see that there is no shame in seeking out help to make sense of their life would be extremely important to me. I want to show that just because you feel you're too old, it doesn't mean that you are."
There are currently no statistics of autism diagnosis rates in adults in Northern Ireland.
In March a new autism bill was passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly with unanimous cross-party support.
The Autism Amendment Bill will be the most comprehensive piece of single disability legislation within the UK.
Some of the changes that the Bill will introduce will be the creation of an autism information service and a cross-departmental autism training strategy.
It also looks at strengthening the data collection for children and adults with autism.
Autism NI’s Chief Executive, Kerry Boyd said: "Over the past few years, an increasing number of adults are coming forward to seek a diagnosis of autism.
"As autism was only first diagnosed in the late 1990s in Northern Ireland, understandably we have many autistic adults living here who have yet to receive a formal diagnosis.
"With waiting times for an adult diagnosis in some Health Trust areas exceeding five years, this makes it extremely difficult for those seeking an assessment.
"Many of those waiting are therefore forced to pay privately for a diagnosis, which inevitably causes health inequalities between those that can afford to do so and those that are left stranded on lengthy waiting lists."
She added: "Autism NI led the lobby for the new Autism Amendment Act which was passed recently at Stormont. Within this legislation there is a section which sets out regional provision for adult support services including employment support, supported living and social opportunities.
"There is also a requirement within this new legislation to collect data on autistic adults for the first time ever, which will enable the Department of Health to accurately assess the support needs of this population.
"For far too long many autistic adults have been left with little or no support straight after diagnosis, but I believe the new Autism Amendment Act will be the start of access to the right support tools for every autistic adult."
Read more: Belfast girl with autism inspiring millions of other kids worldwide
Read more: Autism legislation receives unanimous cross-party support at Stormont
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